Improved railroad-track



UNITED STATES HUGH BAINES, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

IMPROVED RAILRGAD=TRACK.

Specification forming part of Letters Iatcnt No. 53,2110, dated March13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH BA1NEs,of Manchester, England, but nowtemporarily residing in the city of Montreal, Canada, have invented newand useful Improvements in Railroad-Tracks; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is an elevation ot' one track of arailroad, showing what I term the expansionmitcrs 5 Fig. 2, a similarview to Fig. l, showing the fish-plate7 and lock-latein7 so termed; Fig.3, a plan or top view ot' both Figs. l and 2, showing the connection ofrails with the cross-ties ot' the ailroad5 Fig. a, a transverse verticalsection ot' expansion and contraction niiters, so termed, together withthe railroad-chair and cross and longitudinal ties; Fig. 5, a transversevertical section of rail through fish-plates and lock-latch; Fig. 6, aground plan, showing both sides ot' railwaytrack with open miters forexpansion.

A A in the drawings represent the crossties of the railroad, placed atsuitable distances apart, on which, extending from one to the other,rest the longitudinal ties B B, having along and upon their uppersurfaces a series of diagonal plates, C U, forming the bed for the railsF and H, between the contiguous ends of which are placed the half-mitersE and G, one, E, in contact with end of rail F, and the other, G, incontact with end ot' rail H, the two forming, when placed side by sidewith each other, a continuation of the two rails, and are of uniformshape therewith in cross-section, these miters and ends ot' railscontiguous therewith fitting by their flanges L a, in the longitudinalgrooves ot' the chair-plate D, inserted in the diagonals C ot' thelongitudinal ties B, and made llush, or nearly so, therewith.

J J are fish-plates, which I so term, placed one upon each side oftherail, overlapping the joints of the miters E and G with the rails F andH, bolts O, having heads P at one end and loosely passing through theplates and the miters or rails F and H in contact therewith,

being used for tightly binding the whole together and to the rail byscrewing up thenuts Q upon one of the bolts, which, when set, are thenheld byinterlocking the latch-bar K, hung upon a fuleruin-pin of one ot'the fish-plates, with them, as shown in Fig. 2.

I is a key connecting halt-miter O to rail H for drawing back thehaltmiter G in contracting.

lhe half-imiter G is to be made in various lengths to allow for theexpansion and contraction in the continuous rail, and to bring theentire expansion or contraction into one place at each quarter of amile, more or less, instead of at every rail length, as hitherto.

It is clearly apparent from the above description that when half-imiterE and rail F are iirinly spiked to diagonals C, longitudinal andtransverse ties, and placed immediately adjoining switches, crossings,and at every quarter of a mile, more or less, half-miter G and rail H,when connected with close joints, lishplates, and lock-latches, can onlyexpand into and contract out ot' half-ruiter E.

lt may be here remarked that all the nuts of fish-plato bolts at everyrail length I intend to secure with a lock-latch, K, as shown overmiters in the drawings, and that furthermore all the various partscomposing my joint for rails are to be made of the proper materials andstrength.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of ties, longitudinals, diagonals, rails, fish-plates,lock-latches, expansion and contraction niiters resting on chairs of thediagonals at every quarter ot' a mile (more or less) of the railroad,allowing no expansion or contraction at each rail length, but making onecontinuous rail for a quarter of amile, more or less, to expand in andcontract onto-l' miters E and G, substantially as described.

rIhe above specification ot' my invention signed by me this 4th dayotJanuary, 1866.

HUGH BAINES.

Witnesses:

Jive. STARK, WILLIAM J. GREEN.

